Rian: Whew, finally done! After rewriting this chapter twice, I couldn't be happier to say that this chapter up and ready! It is a little shorter than normal, but... -shrugs- Hope you guys enjoy it!

Toaxabineh: We rewrote it once, actually -.-" Its been a long couple of weeks, I think stuff starts getting mixed up in Rian's brain XD Enjoy!

Disclaimer on my prof.!

Enjoy reading!

"Take it easy Fowler..." Jack whispered as he tended to the mans flesh wound, a scratch on his forearm. Tearing a strip from his shirt, he gestured for the man to hold his arm out. "I'm just going to bandage it, okay?" The man nodded shakily, offering his arm. Within the past few days the boy had been around, Fowler had quickly learned that the boy wouldn't hurt him, and wouldn't let anyone else hurt him either. Especially Ratchet. If he hadn't found him when he had...he shuddered at the thought.

"You need to be more careful," Jack chided gently. "Don't hit the bar anymore, okay? I'll figure something out so that we can both escape." Jack said, to which Fowler nodded again, looking apologetic.

"S-sorry."

Jack smiled kindly, finishing his work and patting the man's arm.

"No need to apologize. Just be patient a little longer."

"It's been so long already..." He muttered, covering up his face.

"I know." Jack soothed. "Just a little longer."

"What if...what if we never...?"

Jack sent the man a stern look.

"Don't think like that."

Fowler hesitantly nodded.

"I promise, we're going to get out. You believe me, don't you?"

"Y...yeah..."

"Here," Jack held up a sandwich, if it could be considered that, for Fowler to have.

Fowler looked alarmed and joyful.

"Wh-whered you get this?!"

"I managed to sneak it out earlier, when Ratchet was talking to Bulkhead." Jack said, glad that the bots kept something around for their prisoners to eat. It was great by any means, but it was better than nothing, as Fowler ate up the sandwich quickly and was clearly starving. Jack smiled, seeing that Fowler was feeling a little better now, if only a little bit in this dark, nightmarish pit.

Both humans jumped when the thud of steady pedefalls came from down the corridor outside their cell. Fowler moved as far away as he possibly could to prevent being grabbed right away, but Jack stopped him with a hand to his shoulder, making the gesture to be quiet with a finger to his lips. Fowler could only nod, looking terrified once more as the all too familiar colors of dark orange and off white pierced the otherwise colorless room, Jack positioned himself between the cell door and Fowler as a meager form of protection.

"What do you want?" Jack demanded of Ratchet, the mechs face set into a perpetual scowl as he stared down at their tiny prisoners.

"Get up, both of you." Ratchet ordered, though they did not comply. "Optimus has requested both of your presences and sent me to collect. Now hurry up."

"Requested my ass." Jack snapped. "I'd no more willing go with you than I'd stick my hand under a blowtorch!"

"That was not a suggestion!" Ratchet growled out angrily. "Get up before Optimus scraps my hide!"

"If you want us, come get us!"

Ratchet scowled, moving forward.

"You little-" A yelp left the medic when the boy suddenly ran forward and grabbed at the cables in his ankle. "What are you doing?!" Ratchet shouted, most certainly alerting the other bots to his presence. "Get away from me-" Jack yanked as hard as he could, snapping the cables and sending the mech to the ground with a hard, loud clang that shook the ground.

"Fowler move!" He shouted, seeing the man right in the path of the falling mech. The man gasped, quickly scrambling away. Jack grabbed his wrist, pulling him out into the corridor and to a vent outside of the cell. He quickly twisted off the large screws and opened the grate. "Get in!" He shouted, jumping in before they could be spotted by another bot that had to be coming by now.

And for the first time, Fowler was grateful for the amount of weight he lost as a result of his extended stay in this place, as he would never have fit in the vents if he still retained his previous girth, the two quickly hurrying through the vents, ignoring the yelling and commotion from the rooms outside the ventilation system.

"Faster!" Jack said as they scrambled through the vents, terrified at the possibility at being caught any moment now. They had to hurry, had to get to the control room and send the signal out!

They reached a place where the vent split in two directions.

"Which way's the control room?"

"U-uh...l-left I think..?" Fowler answered, sounding unsure of himself.

"Wait here while I go send out that SOS signal code you gave me, alright?" Jack ran down the left vent. "I'll be right back!"

Fowler didn't protest.

Jack ran as quickly as he could until he reached a grate through which he could see the control room. It was empty, the bots no doubt trying to find him and Fowler elsewhere.

"Where is it, where is it?" He whispered to himself, looking for the console that would allow him to send the signal to the 'cons. Finding it, the boy ran forward and climbed up to the keyboard. "Please, please let this work..." He prayed as he typed.

A quiet cheer left the boy as the screen flared green, the words *SOS Authorization Code Accepted* flashing on it.

"Alright, now to get back to Fowler..."

"And where the frag do you think you're going?" A voice said behind him.

Jack gasped, whipping around.

And there stood Arcee, a sick smile on her lips as she stared him down.

Jack forced himself to take a deep breath and straightened.

"Get out of my way, Arcee."

"And let my favorite toy go? I don't think so."

Jack didn't back down, meeting the femme's optics.

"I'm not a toy, Arcee. I live and I breathe, I feel, too. I'm alive, despite what you and the other bots might think. Just like I know you aren't completely insane like everyone else thinks."

"Too true." She grinned, stabbing the lock on the door and causing it to slam shut. "Which is why I'm letting you go."

Jack looked at her warily.

"You...are..?"

"Why not?" She said, leaning down to look at him directly in the eyes. "It'll be so much more fun hunting you down out there than it will be torturing you in here."

Jack didn't so much as flinch.

"It'll only be more 'fun' if you can catch me." "You have no idea," She laughed, bringing a claw up to his cheek and drawing it downward from his temple to his cheek, leaving a line of blood behind. Jack only grimaced, shifting away and heading for the vent. Arcee gave him a wink as he pulled himself upward, casually waving her hand as he made his escape.

Jack shuddered. Creepy.

Hurrying down the ventilation shaft, Jack quickly found a Fowler, the man waiting nervously where he'd left him.

"D-did you send the signal?"

"Yeah, c'mon, let's go."

Nodding, Fowler followed him.

The two humans hurried down through the vents, Jack taking the lead, hearing the sounds of bots yelling and running around as they searched for them. He sucked in large breath when he finally came to a vent with sunlight streaming through the grates. Smiling widely, Jack rushed for the exit, knocking the grate off it's hinges, jumping down into sandy earth.

"Finally...!" He panted. "Some fresh air..." Fowler looked ready to cry. This was likely a miracle in his eyes. But knew this wasn't over yet. The bots would be hot on their tails any minute now. "We can't stop yet," Jack warned, taking hold of his forearm. "Not until the 'cons get here." The man nodded, letting the teen guide him onward. "There's a town near here, right? Called Jasper?" Jack asked, already sweating under the desert sun.

"I-I think so..."

"Then we should try to make it there. If the 'cons didn't get our signal, then we need a place to hide, get supplies from...we're not going to last long without water."

Fowler nodded in return.

The two hurried along, checking over their shoulders every few minutes. It wasn't long after when a groundbridge appeared behind him, the two pausing to catch their breath as they turned to meet the Decepticons. "Oh thank god..." He breathed out, greatly relieved. The teen rushed forward-

A dark blue and red plated pede stepped out. Jack quickly us he'd Fowler back, moving between the man and the 'bridge, Optimus glaring down at the teen before him. Jack glared back defiantly,

"Get them." Optimus said calmly, his dark optics staring holes into the backs of the pair.

The bots went to follow...and a second bridge appeared.

"Ah frag." Bulkhead groaned, readying his weapons.

"Go through there!" Jack ordered Fowler. "It's ours!"

Fowler quickly scrambled through go followed by Jack.

"Even if you capture me now, I've still won." Jack panted, stepping back, trying to make a break for it, but Optimus stopped him at every turn he went to tae.

"You are not going to leave, boy."

"Like I'm going to let you stop me." He growled out, looking from Optimus to the bridge.

The Prime's optics narrowed.

"You are foolish, wishing to go back to those who cannot see your potential."

"They can see it just fine, thank you." He replied dryly. "And I don't know what you're seeing in me, but I know it isn't something that I want."

"I believed the same thing long ago when I was a youngling."

"And that was what, eight thousand years ago? I think your beliefs may have become a little skewed in that time."

Optimus' frown deepened.

"You're not going anywhere." The Prime growled out, blocking Jacks path.

"You're not going to have a choice in that." Jack said, grinning when he saw Megatron step through the bridge.

Optimus scowled.

"You-"

The Prime never finished as he was slammed aside by Megatron.

"Jackson, run!" Megatron shouted, punching Optimus in the face. Jack quickly did so, bolting for the bridge. Optimus let out an angry yell, reaching for the teen, grabbing nothing but sand and dirt, then formed a blaster cannon out of frustration. Jack looked back only for a second, his eyes widening when he saw an energon blast hurtling right for him.

"No!" Megatron cried, fear flashing through his optics

It landed a few feet away from the teen, but it was enough for the force of the blast to send him flying into the dirt where he then laid still.

He groaned quietly, trying to force himself to get up, but he couldn't, the pain too much for him. He gave a small cry of pain as he was gently lifted up in a large metal servo. Jack heard Optimus screaming in anger, Megatron saying something to him, and the whirl of the groundbridge, unable to make heads or tails of up or down. A wave of nausea hit his stomach, a sign he was being taken through a 'bridge, to the Nemesis. Thank god...

"Ugh..."

He could hear Megatron speaking to him gently, his words muffled. Jack wished he could understand what was going on, but the pain... He jerked violently when someone touched his leg, hissing in pain. He could now hear more voices, all worried and rushed. When he blacked out Jack was grateful that he was at least safe.